Are you sure you aren’t the sale pending?

My thoughts too. Maybe all good?

Well normally that sounds like how craigslist sales sometimes go, not so.much here on pinside. As of others said you sure he dissed you?

If you didn’t even discuss a price, he prob thought you were a tire kicker and moved on. Until someone says “i’ll Take it” the seller may field offers and inquiries. Imho. If you set a time to see it, then I would say he owes you a heads up. But a “I’ll take it” trumps a “I’d like to see it”. Again imho.
**clarification- if you said I’ll be there at 9am (specific time) and he accepts that, then his obligation is to allow you to see it at 9am with no visits before if you are first in line, unless someone else requested a time first. Even if someone after your contact says they’ll take it. He has to allow first refusal for accepting a time commitment. If you show up at 10am, you lose. If you said I’d like to see it sometime tomorrow, you probably lost out due to no firm commitments.

Ya, sounds like he shoulda let you see it. Who knows maybe you are the pending as others have said. When it comes to money, things can get unpredictable. Who knows maybe his wife get arrested and he needs her bail money right away, or sick kid in the hospital. Ya just don’t know.

Sounds like when you got far enough to get his address he should have given you a heads up. It's possible the cash on the glass phrase got you disqualified.

Every price in pinball is "cash on the glass". I think once you mentioned that he just sold it to someone who would pay the price...

It’s tough when you have something on location and a person walks up and says I will take it versus a long distance, will be driving in, buyer. Cash in the hand is always going to win on a sale.

I never take a deposit or hold a game for someone unless it's an established friend or person I've dealt with before. Too many flakes have no issue leaving you stranded with a machine. Have to move quick to get the game you want.

I think I know the person you're talking about--I saw the ad where it says a game was listed in his bar. When he lists a game, it's generally just under the market price, so he gets flooded with messages, and seems to take the easiest and quickest person to work with, rather than the first person to send a message. It's just the way he seems to operate.

It is a bummer, for sure. All of my pins have been long distance. Sellers sent the pics. One seller on pinside had an exceptional library of pics in his pinside ad. One CL seller had a nice library of pics. Two other sellers put me in position to have to ask for more pics. All of these four instances I made the commitment to buy based on pics alone. I assured sellers that all my questions were put to rest. I have the money and I am your buyer.

There was no "I like your pics and I would like to drop by and have a closer look." Each case was "I like what I see in the pics you sent to me. Thank you. I will buy your pin. I can be on the road tomorrow and it will take me two days to get there. Would you like a Paypal deposit?"

I made absolute certain that I was their no BS buyer. Texting regularly. "I'll be leaving in the morning at 8am. I just hit the road. I'm 14 hours away. I'm 6 hours away. "

If you told him you had a question about his stencil that may have put you in the can. If it is your grail pin you have to go balls out and leave no room for doubt. "I am really interested in your pin for sale is worlds apart from "I have cash. I am your buyer." And then don't be late.

Were you the first to inquire about the pin? Or the second ? Or the third?

It also sounds like you never made an actual offer and who knows but maybe another potential buyer made an offer?

Not enough info to make a call on this

The last few games I sold I've had a buyer for each that needed to work out shipping or someone to pickup the game for them at the Allentown show. The next day I get a full price offer form a local person that could've picked it up that day. But I told him I had promised someone else a few days to work out arrangements.

Yeah, would've been much easier for me to have a local guy come and get it, versus loading it up and taking it to Allentown for the same price. But if I says I'll hold it, then I'll hold it and it's yours until the timeframe we agreed upon expires.

clear communication is important from both a buyer/potential buyer and a seller.

That said, if you did not make a cash offer or give a paypal deposit to at least hold the game then it is always first come first served unless explicitly agreed upon (even then some sellers will take first to show with cash).

I have found people seriously interested are always willing and even wanting to send a quick deposit.
Tire kickers are often more than comfortable wasting my time by setting up times to meet and then evaporating. Little is more aggravating than adjusting my schedule to meet a buyer that never shows up, so I make it clear that first come, first served and a deposit will hold the game for you for a reasonable time frame.

All said, if I am marking a game pending and I have someone planning to come by, I will at least tell them that I have a pending offer (or they are the pending and that is why I am changing the status)

He may still allow you to see it but may have changed the post to "sale pending" because he got a ton of backup offers and knows it will sell?

yeah, I would reach out to seller and just ask if you are the "pending" and reason it was changed.

bummer.

I think good etiquette would be to at least message you to tell you.
That said, if you did not offer a deposit then I am likely going to assume you are a tire kicker. Assuming the game was priced appropriately (since it sold) and since you asked for haggle room, I have found that can dis qualify you as the seller would be in the right to assume you may just come see it and want to haggle them down then. In other words a cash deposit or full price offer goes in front of you just due to their commitment level.

I would think he would at least owe you a message telling you not to come by, especially if he knows you were traveling.

30 minutes on the phone talking about buying 1 game? For me, anything more than a five minute conversation is starting to put up red flags.

Unfortunately I think your idea of a serious buyer and the rest of pinside sellers are to different versions.
This seller has sold quite a few machines and has had plenty of people fart around and waste his time.
Cash and deposits with being Johnny on the spot is all that matters in a sale. Take this as a lesson that if you WANT something go after it and just pay up.
-Mike

Yeah. The OP asked for and got pics in an hour. That tells you motivated seller when a pic request is returned that fast.

Either you like the pics enough to make a firm offer, or you don't. If you, as a buyer, say anything more than "I like it. Consider it SOLD !! in its current condition." then the seller has reason to doubt. You have not given him a deal. You have not given him a reason to hang on for you. You are not special.

Separate case study,

Interested buyer #1. Says, Can I have more pictures? How about pictures of the underside of the playfield, and the back of the machine, too?

Interested buyer #2. Says, I would like a video of the machine, and do you have references.

Interested buyer #3. I want you machine, will you take a deposit. I can pick it up in 3 days.

OK, when you sell a machine, how would you prioritize these buyers?
Do you only look at a situation from your buying view point? (as though you are the only one interested).

This is a major difference between buying pinball machines "back in the day" versus buying games today. Back in the day, whoever messaged first usually was given a chance to see the game (or inspect detailed pictures) and have a discussion with the seller before making an offer. Today, however, with people rampantly throwing money at the pinball games, you basically have to commit to buying the game at full price without even knowing what you are buying (which honestly, flat out sucks). The only recourse is to back out on your word to buy the machine in the event that the game is a litter box (which you would have known had the etiquette of days past still been in play).

When I sell a game I try to maintain that whoever messages first gets a chance to have all their questions/concerns answered. If I have a lot of interest, I will sell to the first person that offers me my asking price, but will always give that opportunity to the first responder by saying the price is firm if I feel I am destined to get my price due to the amount of responders.

Why do people bring these petty disputes to Pinside?

It comes with the territory. If you can't handle deals falling apart without making a public spectacle out of it this is the wrong hobby for you.

High volume sellers don't want 30 minute phone conversations, back and forth wiggle room on pricing or tentative meet ups in the next day and a half to negotiate.

All of that would just raise red flags to me that the sale is not going to crystallise in one way or another.

I think if the buyer is willing to come to your location to inspect, it's courteous to give them that chance or at least communicate that you have other offers and that you'd like a decision from them as soon as possible. If they want to meet up somewhere or at a show, then the deal should definitely be solidified by a deposit. I cringe when people back out of pre-arranged deals at shows - could have been avoided with better communication and pictures.

I've had two sales that I put the stops to because of how potential buyers were acting. But I did it in such a way that they thought they were stopping the sale.

It has the same outcome in that I didn't have to deal with them, but it puts the decision on them so there's nothing for them to bitch about to anyone.

It's called a pinball forum....that is what it is designed for...to talk about ALL things pinball. If you don't like the subject of the conversation then don't read it..simple really.

Complaining about complaining about petty pinball disputes is pinball related.

Thank you, please drive thru!

Warning tough love coming .

By the way - What game do you even want?

Not a dig on you, but I have seen folks get caught up complaining about sellers and how they think a game should be bought that it can put off legitimate, normal sellers from selling to you. Yeah maybe this seller is not good but commenting on sellers in general can give off a sense that you are a difficult buyer who will go online and post negative feelings after a sale. Just a thought for the future. Also Use any opportunities to get your game. Say what you are looking for now!

If you are here to complain fine and good luck but it you here to learn this is what I do and works everytime. If I see a game I am looking for and the seller has pretty good reputation from his past sales and seems like a nice person online then I say - I will take it!! I also mention as long as it is what you say it is and that I have no plans of renegotiating when I pick it up. ; ) Send a deposit also. If seller says I don’t have to send a deposit I insist at least. Some say OK and some don’t care as much. I plan to get it quickly also. If I can’t make it for a week I say why so they don’t think I am going to bail. If they need money earlier I can work with sending more deposit.

If I travel far during the time in between pickup I message a couple of times to make sure we are on the same page. I am always clear on how I am moving the game - I am coming alone can you help? Any stairs? Do you have a dolly or should I bring one? Be appreciative along the way. Ask them if they are buying another pin etc.. Never miss an opportunity to make a new pinball friend and connection. This is not Amazon, this is pinball. Thank them for selling after. Have fun with it!

These connections are especially true with Bally folks - great group, love pinball, many old schoolers, tight group. If you make a few connections and friends with them you will have friends for life and always get help with a fix and help to find for your next game.

Another thing - If you sell games if you try to max out top pricing for them that is great and all, but folks remember who is in it for the money. You will likely get no deals or breaks when you make the next call to them for your next purchase or anyone else in your area. Be a great seller also. And you will have great buying experiences paid back to you down the road.

Pins are a small pond. These folks remember who was a great buyer. They sell games again. They may know a ton of other folks. Work connections, make friends, have fun and you will get your games at reasonable prices. Good luck in the hunt!

tomdrum sorry to hear about your possible sale. Being both buyer and seller, this seller isn't one I would deal with after his action. Yes I know cash is king, but how you deal with a seller says a lot about YOU. His ability not to hold the pin until you looked at it after you asked for directions and such just states this fact. Lots of sellers are like this but I go with a if you called you have first look. Just me.

One time I was selling a No Fear and a Who Dunnit as a package deal for around $2200. Buyer was coming from out of town and said he was interested because he was on a road trip collecting machines. We agree on a date and time. I take the day out of work. No show. Set another time and date. I take the day out of work. Same thing, different excuse. The pins were being stored in my sister's garage so it was an inconvenience to them as well. Third day. Take a day out of work. Waiting all day. Finally get a call. Guy says its raining and he will have to buy tarps to cover the machines, since he had an open trailer, and He did not want them to get wet at the hotel. Asks if he can reschedule. No. F that. If you are not here by tonight they are being sold to someone else. I will never go through that again. If you are local and want to stop by and play the machine when I am home, fine. If the buyer is from out of town and planning a road trip, I will not give them much consideration. Too many things can go south, fast. I know that's a terrible attitude, but I have had bad experiences in the past. This particular one was the worst though. If I can sell locally in a quick and easy sale, that is the route that I am going to take.

In my opinion I think he should have contacted you to let you know the game was sold, but I don’t believe he had any obligation to hold the game for you either. There was no agreement on a price or commitment to buy, you were trying to negotiate a better deal and it sounds like somebody probably just cut you out with a full price offer. I agree with what folks have said about committing based on pictures. If it’s a game you really want, sometimes you have to roll the dice, and I’ll be the first to tell you that sometimes you win and sometimes you lose on that, but it’s just the way things are right now....

Agreed.

I only have a couple of sources where I buy all of my truly mint, HUO games from. Occasionally, a game will pop up that I don't want and I will peruse the Pinside WTBs to see if someone is looking for the game. If the guy with the WTB is a known flipper or always holding out for the last penny in their FS ads, I won't bother to contact them.

If it is a grail game for you and it is 1.5 hours away (or off your route) then pay the asking price. It seems rare to have your bucket list game show up that close. If you wanted it and didn't haggle you might have had it. Not a knock on you. Last game that came up that I wanted. I contact the seller with "I'll take it with cash. When can I come?" I would hate to lose out on a bucket list game over a few hundred bucks.

Known flippers aren't always the worst to deal with. They often want a quick and easy deal and will sacrifice to get it.

I just flipped a HUO TSPP for hundreds less than I could have gotten if I'd tried to milk it. Sometimes it's just easier.

You should show up when you said and then kick his ass for wasting a 3 hour side trip.

It's tough. If you setup a specific time to come and purchase the machine, then I think the seller has an obligation to let you see the machine at that time. I'm not sure that was the case with this transaction. Perhaps the seller should have been more clear and said, "If it's still available you are welcome to see it, but I am not going to hold it for you without a deposit." Likewise, I'm not likely to hold it for someone that's still asking questions. To me that an indication they are unsure or want to haggle on the price. So in this case, if I were the seller, I would have probably taken the cash. Not specific to pinball, but in my area it seems like for every person that says they want an item only one in three will actually show up. There are also times when you can get flooded with offers and it's hard to keep track of who's who. There are of course exceptions to this. I know the person at all, including just an acquaintance on Pinside, I'm probably going to be more trusting that they will show up.

I've had a similar situation. I was cleaning out my storage unit and I had a guy coming from one state over to buy most of my remaining few arcade games. We talked, agreed on a total price and 11:00am to meet at the storage unit. I go up there to the storage unit that day and wait around, time comes and goes. This was in the dead of winter in Minnesota, so it was super cold out and there is nothing to do at the unit of course. I try to get ahold of him and then I get a call back that he was running late because of the weather. Fine, understandable it was snowing and he was traveling. He'll be there soon he says. Multiple push backs and 7 hours later he finally shows up with little remorse after he had wasted my entire day. I come to later find out, he was running around town in the Twin Cities picking up games and just kept blowing me off because he thought he could since he knew I had to get out of my storage unit. So we start loading up games in the cold, snow and almost total darkness since it is now late at night. Now after hey are loaded up, he now wants to renegotiate price and pay less. I should have gotten the money up front, lesson learned there. Guy was an absolute douche, if anything he should pay me more for wasting my time. I couldn't believe the nerve he had. I finally get the cash from him and he leaves. The next day I get an angry message from him saying that one of the games isn't in as good of condition as he thought and he wouldn't have wanted it if he could have seen it, but since it was dark at the storage unit he couldn't check it out, like it was my master plan to sneak it past him. I quickly told him that if he had been on time, or even close to when he was supposed to be there (11am) he would have had plenty of sunlight to check everything out so that's on you and ended that conversation then and there.

All it takes it one situation like this to make any seller leery of buyers that have all sorts of special needs, time lines and/or agendas. Now when I sell a game, I sell it local and by word of mouth for market value or under. Games sell very quick and to local people I know that wouldn't waste my time or screw me over. And unless you say "I'll take it" and we have an agreed upon price and pick up time, we don't have a sale or deal. If someone else comes along and says those words to me while a potential buyer is trying to get his brother's wife's nephew to watch his kids so he can try to find a truck to use to drive over to my place in a week and a half to LOOK at my game...I'm sorry it will be long gone by then. I would certainly tell someone who had plans to come and look at the game that the game was now sold though.

When the guy showed up for my machines he was an absolute douche as well. He was pissed about the weather, that he did not have room in the trailer, that he had to "rush" to get them that night so I would not sell to someone else, etc. He was responsible for all of that. And he had the nerve to try and talk me down in price once he got there.

If you weren't out in MA, I would think maybe we got screwed over by the same guy.

Who was it? These guys do travel around the US. This may help so others do not have to deal with this type of person.

I don't remember his name unfortunately. This was years ago now. He was out of South Dakota I believe.

I don't remember either. That was back in the B/W DMD games for 1K era.